A Concrete Decision

Three Pillars Technology Solutions builds on former company’s success.

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A year after the announcement that adtec Services, Inc. was being dissolved, three former employees from its IT staff not only have a new lease on life, their young company is about to expand.

Chris Sloan, 42, managing partner and director of consulting services for Three Pillars Technology Solutions, LLC, recalled the scenario. “Adtec was a wholly-owned affiliate of WPS Insurance,” he said. “Last November, WPS decided to cease the adtec Services name to focus on its core business [insurance].”

In a quandary, the employees debated whether to send out résumés or to strike out on their own. Sloan, together with colleagues Jeff Grady and Steve Kjenner, decided on the latter, and last February they launched Three Pillars Technology Solutions, LLC. The three “pillars,” Sloan explained, represent the company’s primary service offerings: IT consulting, managed service solutions, and security and compliance.

They also describe the expertise each partner brings to the table. Grady is the director of operations and handles security and compliance. Kjenner is director of technology solutions, and Sloan, as director of business development, works with companies looking for consultants, personnel, or more efficient IT solutions.

In a sense, it was simply a progression of their careers. “We had been doing this type of work for so many years. It wasn’t scary to say, ‘we’re on our own,’” Sloan said. “We were actually excited and enthusiastic about it. We had the knowledge, knew how to do this, and we had established relationships. We just went out and created our own game plan.”

The partners funded the business largely on their own and purchased some used office furniture from their defunct former employer. As for new clients, however, they started from scratch.

Now, Three Pillars has six internal employees and about a dozen independent and contracted consultants working on its behalf.

In October, Three Pillars acquired InfoSec Compliance Advisors, LLC, bolstering its security and compliance arm and creating a need for more space. Consequently, on Feb. 1, Three Pillars Technology Solutions will move from its current 1,000-sq.-ft. office to a nearby 1,800-sq.-ft. space that Sloan describes as more conducive to a business environment.